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It is good to hear that the commitment is there, given the success that Frank Mitchell has described and the demand in the economy. That is very important.

You will understand that I have concerns about some of the mechanisms and you will recognise that, essentially, funding drives activity. One of the reasons why universities across Scotland have invested in graduate apprenticeships is that it is an alternative funding source for them. They have diversified their activities to drive into this area. Will the programme remain a separate incentive and a resource opportunity? Or are you looking at mainstreaming graduate apprenticeship funding into the grant that is awarded to the universities?

Thank you to the witnesses, and thank you, convener. I could go on at length—the matter is of significant concern and distress in the sector—but I will leave the questions there for the moment.

We, as a committee, will keep an eye on this—with the willingness of my fellow committee members. It is an issue of concern.

Overall, we see the programme, which we want to be retained, within the picture of what was described last week as a very disappointing funding settlement for universities. Given that we are talking about skills and skill matches in the economy, can you reflect on the understandable reaction of higher education to the funding settlement that came about last week. It is so important to drive the economy and where we are headed, but we are looking at quite substantial real-terms cuts.

We are looking at no increase in the unit of resource per student since 2014, plus, as you describe it, an increase in the number of domestic students over the last couple of years, driven by the pandemic—although giving those opportunities is a positive thing that has to be protected. Today, inflation is running at 5 per cent and then there is the Universities Superannuation Scheme. That is all an emerging storm for our higher education sector, is it not?

It is a real positive that that demand is out there, and I appreciate your bringing that to our attention.

I also have questions to the Scottish Funding Council. Karen Watt, after the budget last week, Universities Scotland expressed real concern that the cost of graduate apprenticeships is to be absorbed within its core budget. Is that the case?

My questions are probably slightly more substantive. I may hang off until my turn, if that works.

My final question relates to your own institution. I recall speaking to a lecturer who expressed frustration that the lack of young people taking higher computing had meant that, in some of your core courses, it could no longer be used as a compulsory subject. Consequently, a lot of teaching in first year was in areas that could perhaps have enthused people in the way you spoke about. Do you see other institutions having that problem in common with you?

That is a very useful comment about the broader practical issues. We have focused on a very useful conversation about the 23 per cent decline in the number of computing teachers and we recognise that something has to be done in that area. Your comments on the broader infrastructure, including the human infrastructure of support staff, are particularly useful.

I am conscious of the Scottish Qualifications Authority’s role in the area. There is a lot of characterisation of computing as a boring subject. One headteacher said to me recently that higher computing had been positioned as being quite a technical, boring, inaccessible subject, rather than having been given a sense of inspiration and possibility. Would you recognise and agree with that characterisation?

That is helpful. Thanks, convener.

It is more broadly about the system and the skills. We will park the gender issue just now, as we have covered it quite comprehensively so far.